Read Ghana Foundation: ‘Give books and not Chocolates on Val’s Day’

The wind of Val’s Day is blowing all over the world because on Wednesday February 14th, 2018 is another opportunity to express love towards loved ones.

Against this background, come Wednesday people are planning to give chocolates, flowers and other gifts to their loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.

As the day will be marked in Ghana as well, Read Ghana Foundation is of the view that, books should be the gifts of the day instead of the usual chocolates,flowers, candy etc.

The reason is very simple because, to read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives views over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experiences and the fruits of many inquiries.

Books are of tremendous power when it comes to fueling the development of all aspects of language ability, its importance to the entirety of a human life in this day and age really can’t be underestimated.

Our argument is that, lovers need to give books as gifts during this year’s Valentine’s instead of the usual chocolates,candy and flowers etc

As Ghanaians, it is very true for many years now, we have been stuck with the Western culture of giving our loved ones chocolates,candy and flowers etc during Val’s day.

But as the saying goes, it is only “a fool that does not change his or her mind”.

This time round, we must make a big change in our way of expressing love during the upcoming Val’s Day Celebration in the quest of making Ghana a winning nation through reading.

It is very evident that, a book is the best gift people can give to their loved ones during the upcoming Val’s Day compared to chocolates.

As a special day, something special that will stand the test of time is the best give because it is fact that, flowers will wilt and lose meaning but the content of the book will last forever from one generation to another.

This we know will not go down well with most people but we must all understand that, books motivate, enlighten, educate, entertain and invigorate our lives as well as our way of thinking which chocolates, flowers,candy etc cannot do.

It is interesting to note that, in a book titled “Discovery brings recovery”, Ken Gomeri says that “if you want to hide something from a fool, put it in a book”. This clearly indicates and supports our position that, information is power and it is only the wise that search for information through books. We know as Ghanaians we are very wise people so therefore, we must show great interest in issues regarding books and reading.

According to Egara Kabaji “it is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds, in their most precious thoughts and pour their souls into ours”.

They give to all who will faithfully use them in the society, the spiritual presence of the best and greatest of our race.

It is therefore very unfortunate that, during Valentine’s Day, many people will be in haste to buy flowers,chocolates, condoms while bookshops, the wealthiest sources of knowledge, will have few customers but from this Wednesday forward we want to see the reserve drastically.

As a country that must win through reading, it is a high time that we adopt a new style of investing in books and rendering them as souvenirs to our loved ones.

The fact is that, if we stop reading, we become illiterate in thoughts.

Let us not waste our resources in buying chocolates for our loved ones for chocolates will just hasten tooth decay. Let us stop buying flowers for they will wilt the next day.

Instead, let us spoil our loved ones with books for it is only through books that we will be informed, entertained, enlightened, motivated, inspired and encouraged. Books will unlock the great potential that we possess in our lives.